Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology and telecoms infrastructure firm, has unveiled the Cassava AI Multi-Model Exchange (CAIMEx) — a platform designed to give African mobile-network operators direct access to leading artificial-intelligence systems from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

The platform, now in its pilot-integration phase, enables operators to connect to multiple large-language and generative-AI models through a single interface, reducing infrastructure costs and integration complexity. Cassava said it is hosting CAIMEx locally in regional data facilities to ensure compliance with Africa’s data-protection regimes, including South Africa’s POPIA, Kenya’s DPA 2021, and Nigeria’s NDPR.

“With its growing AI ecosystem, Africa has the potential to be more than a consumer of technologies imported from elsewhere,” said Ahmed El Beheiry, CEO of Cassava AI, in a press release. “Through CAIMEx, we’re building a bridge between global innovation and African ambition, giving every mobile operator the ability to offer world-class AI tools affordably.”

The announcement follows Cassava’s broader strategy to expand digital infrastructure and embed Africa within global technology value chains. In October 2025, NVIDIA invested an undisclosed amount in Cassava to accelerate development of Africa’s first AI factory, initially announced in March 2025 by executive chairman Strive Masiyiwa. The exact investment value has not been disclosed.

The company’s partners include Google, which will offer Gemini AI tools to millions of African users under a new partnership announced this week. The deal includes data-free access for eligible users and six months of free Google AI Plus, providing 200 GB of cloud storage.

CAIMEx integrates leading AI systems, including Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, giving mobile operators flexibility to choose models suited to local customers and enterprise needs. Cassava said its regional AI factories will provide high-performance computing and secure data hosting to improve efficiency and enable operators to build AI-driven products.

The company noted that its exchange is designed to complement, rather than compete with, other emerging African AI initiatives such as G42 Africa, AI4D, and Masakhane, positioning CAIMEx as the continent’s first telecom-focused AI interconnect rather than a general-purpose platform.

Cassava operates across 94 markets in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and is among a small group of regional players developing end-to-end AI and data-infrastructure services.